


Change Of Plans

by RedheadedSuperhero



Series: Change of Plans [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bad Flirting, Bottom Castiel (Supernatural), Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester, Dad!Castiel, Fluff, Heats, M/M, Omega Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, Scenting, Smut, Top Dean Winchester, alternative universe, mention of abortion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-03 21:56:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20460122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadedSuperhero/pseuds/RedheadedSuperhero
Summary: After having suffered through years of painful heats alone, Castiel is determined to spend the next one with an alpha. Unfortunately, as an unmated single omega father, his options seem to be limited to Heat Services --- or an equally meaningless one-night stand. He chooses the last option and attempts to ask some unmated alpha out for a --- well, basically, a sex date. And he has just the right man in mind: Gadreel, the handsome barista at his favourite café.But things don’t go as planned: While Castiel is still trying to get his courage up and actually talk to Gadreel, he is approached by a certain green-eyed alpha…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, lovelies! Another silly little fic from me. It’s just one weekend in the lives of mechanic Dean Winchester and librarian Castiel Novak; basically a one-shot, which I split it into four (short) parts. There will be absolutely no drama, little angst, some humour (I hope), also smut, and loads of fluff.  
This story’s already completely written, and I plan to post the next chapters about every other day – so we should be done by next weekend. :-)

**CHANGE OF PLANS**

**ONE**

Castiel looked into the mirror for one last time before he would leave his apartment. He stared right into his own determined gaze for a moment, and was a little proud of himself already.

He could do this.

He _would_ do this.

But as he walked the twenty minutes from his home to his favourite café, he could feel his determination subside with every step, making room for doubt and nervousness. Maybe this was not such a good plan after all. He was not even entirely sure how this was done – were there any specific rules he had to follow? – and he had never even asked an alpha out before, or any other person. Most importantly, he usually did not do one-night stands. Heat or not.

Well, that was not entirely true – he had tried it twice in his life. And both occasions had been quite disappointing.

But this time would be different, the omega promised himself. He was older now. More mature. He would tell the alpha if he didn’t like something, right away. And he would not cry if they mocked him for his _stupidity_, not again.

At that last thought, Castiel stumbled in his steps, almost falling over. Instead of worrying about the past, he decided to go through the list in his mind once more, double-checking his preparations for the weekend. Making sure for the umpteenth time that he had not forgotten anything to make this heat-sex with an almost-stranger work.

There was his already oversized fridge, stuffed full of all kinds of drinks and foods to get him – and another person, or a whole army, really – through the weekend. He had locked Jack’s room, with all his things in it, so there would be no brutal surprises in that department this time. And, of course, there was the whole drawer full of condoms next to his bed. He might have overdone it a little – there were about twelve packages in different sizes; just to be sure he got the right kind. He had even bought some that were not intended for knots, in case he would end up taking home a beta (it had been Gabriel’s idea that Castiel should just head for the next club and pick someone up if his plan did not work). Castiel’s head had been beet red when the clerk in the drugstore had wordlessly smirked at him at his order of – in total – 120 condoms. The omega had sternly refused to wonder what this man might have thought about him.

When he finally walked into the café and straight towards the familiar barista – at least he was there, not that Castiel had not checked his schedule beforehand – the omega was already silently reciting the little speech he had prepared to himself.

_Hello, Gadreel. I was wondering if you are free for this weekend, or even just tonight, and would be willing to help me through my heat. I don’t expect any attention afterwards. This will be a one-time deal, and I promise I won’t bother you again. _

There. Simple. Straightforward. Just the way Castiel liked it.

And, really, what could happen? Other than that he might have to look somewhere else for coffee in the future.

And if all things failed, there was that drawer full of toys, right below the one stuffed full of condoms, to help him through the next few days. Castiel straightened his shoulders as he stopped at the counter.

But when the alpha turned to him, smiled and greeted him with a cheery “Hey, Castiel. The usual?”, the omega lost his thread.

“Gadreel. Good day.” Castiel cursed himself; he was off script already. And no one said _good day_ anymore. He probably sounded like a creep. He looked around, a little helpless, and saw a new customer coming in right behind him. Great, more audience for his stammering. For a second, he met ridiculously green eyes, wrinkles turning up around the edges as Castiel looked into them, before the omega turned back to Gadreel, mouth suddenly dry. “I wanted to ask… that is… I was wondering… if I could have some coffee. Black. With two spoons of sugar, please.”

Castiel blinked at his own senseless request, and Gadreel chuckled.

“Sure thing, Castiel. Coming right up.”

A minute later, Castiel sat in a booth at the end of the room and watched Gadreel from afar. Maybe it was even better to wait a little. Gadreel still had nearly an hour of work ahead of him, so it would not make that much sense to approach him already. He currently chatted with the alpha who had waited behind Castiel in a way that the omega thought the two knew each other. Gadreel laughed at something the other man said, and Castiel re-found a little of his courage. This was the reason he had picked Gadreel in the first place. He seemed nice, and warm.

After seven years of spending his heats alone every eight weeks – apart from those unhappy attempts a one-night stands many years back – Castiel had decided that, this time, he would not suffer through the cramps and the constant sweating and the unstoppable feeling of _need_. Or maybe his cousin, Balthazar, and his brother Gabriel had finally gotten through to him – and even his doctor had told him for months now that his heats would probably only get worse and she had openly suggested he should call one of the few alpha services in town. But Gabriel had insisted he should save his money and just head out at the beginning of his heat and get himself an alpha for one night. And Balthazar had seemed just as convinced that alphas would probably just start fighting with each other to be with him, while Castiel had nothing more to do than just stand there and wait. Since heat scents worked as the perfect aphrodisiac – no difficult conversations needed.

But Castiel did not want anyone to start a brawl, nor did he want the kind of alpha who would just start to posture and punch his rivals to drag him to their bed. He had already made bad experiences with that type, and he did not feel too comfortable to invite a complete stranger into his apartment in any case. They could be a murderer or whatnot. The omega had rather tried to come up with a different solution, one that might be more suitable for him. So he had looked for an alpha he already knew somewhat, but not so much that it could interfere with his everyday life – so his few colleagues were out of the question as well as every other person he could not avoid meeting in the future; like that unmated neighbour from downstairs, who always grinned at him like Castiel should be grateful he made small-talk with him occasionally and did not shun Castiel for his --- _mistake_. Like so many others did. But even if he did not live in the same building as him, Castiel would have never turned to that creepy alpha. As the person he would spend his heat with should definitely be someone he found at least a bit attractive – well aware that, in heat, _a bit attractive_ could soon increase by a large amount to _completely hot_.

After weeks of pondering, Castiel came up with who he thought was the perfect candidate: Gadreel. He usually met the barista three times a week during his afternoon breaks, and sometimes even chatted a little with him, which did not happen too often in Castiel’s life. The alpha was unmated, attractive to Castiel, and he had a nice smell – something that had always been more important to the omega than looks alone. He even dared to hope that Gadreel, should he decline his proposition, would still be polite enough in their next encounters that Castiel could still come here, after a break of maybe two or three weeks.

Castiel was basically making him a compliment, after all. At least that is what Balthazar had said during his pep talk. But then again, Balthazar had been absolutely sure that Castiel only needed to mention that he was near heat, or even only faintly smell like it, and then any alpha, including Gadreel, would just grab him and shove him to the next bedroom. Castiel always thought that, as a beta, Balthazar had a fairly unrealistic view of alphas and omegas.

But there was enough truth to his cousin’s assumptions – alphas often did get quite _excited_ when an omega smelled of heat – that Castiel had been careful to administer scent blockers before he left the house that afternoon. Because he knew his scent was already strong, and he did not want to draw the attention of some asshole alpha, who might believe that Castiel should submit to any guy with a knot, who would generously favour him with their attention.

Besides, Gadreel already knew how he smelled.

Castiel was staring at the barista again, and concentrated once more on what he wanted to say. _Hello, Gadreel_ \---- should he really say _hello_? Again? He had already greeted him before. While Castiel still focused on the barista, a new line of customers formed, and the place looked overall busier than usually on late Friday afternoons. This was not the kind of place people went to have their first drink of the weekend – it was usually businessmen who grabbed a cup of coffee during lunch or met here with clients. Castiel’s frown deepened as he started to panic. He could not talk to Gadreel when there were so many people around.

“I wonder what Gadreel did to you to deserve such a murdering glare.”

Castiel’s head shot to the side and he saw the alpha that had been in line after him. The man held a cup in his hands and pointed at the seat opposite Castiel.

“Mind if I sit down?”

The omega nodded, still somewhat lost in his own thoughts. It was too crowded – which was probably the reason the alpha had needed to sit down in his booth.

“You mind? Or I can sit down?” There was an amused glint in the alpha’s eyes.

Castiel was confused for a second, but then he caught up. “I don’t mind. Please, sit.”

The alpha did, and Castiel thought he could go back to making schemes of luring Gadreel into his bed. He had imagined the alpha would read some text messages or occupy himself otherwise with his smartphone – Castiel knew that some people (namely Balthazar) thought he was strange for not looking at a small screen most of the time – so he was surprised when the handsome – handsome? Where had that come from? – alpha just sat back, legs leisurely spread, and watched the other customers. Castiel tried to ignore him without being impolite and focused on Gadreel again. He was ripped out of his thoughts though, as he heard a low chuckle.

“Seriously, what did he do to you?”

Castiel just blinked at the stranger opposite him.

“Gadreel. You’ve been glaring at him since you came into the shop.” Glaring? Castiel frowned – he had not been _glaring_, he was just --- focused. The smirk on the man’s face grew wider. “Now don’t turn that death glare to _me_. I am only curious to find out what he has done to you to want him murdered. Always thought he is a nice guy.”

At that, for the first time, since he had stepped into the café, Castiel truly looked at the alpha. His face was --- as close to perfect as a face could probably get. And the rest of him, as much as Castiel could see, wasn’t bad either. That man managed to look at the same time _beautiful_ and yet _masculine_. The strong jawline, the broad shoulders and chest, and that soft, sensuous lips. Castiel caught himself looking at those lips for a moment too long, and immediately blamed his oncoming heat. He sniffed a little but could not make out any scent. The alpha probably wore blockers, just like Castiel did.

Suddenly, the stranger leaned forwards, and offered his hand to Castiel.

“I’m Dean, by the way. Nice to meet you, …?”

Castiel took it, a bit hesitantly, and then held on to the warm grip of rough hands for longer than was probably appropriate.

“Castiel. My name is Castiel. Hello. Dean.”

“So, what are you doing here, Cas? You one of the sorry sons of bitches who have to get back to work at five on a Friday afternoon? Or do you have a more reasonable job and get to celebrate the weekend with a nice cup of coffee.”

“I … ahem, no, I sometimes have to work late on Fridays, and Saturdays. I am a librarian. But I have the next days off, so … I guess this is my way of celebrating the weekend.” Castiel was surprised at his own long answer – he had not come here to chat. But it would have been rude to ignore the man. There was a short pause until he added: “And what about you? Are you just taking a break?” It would explain why he was not emanating any scent – alphas did not usually wear blockers in their spare time, but some put them on during work, especially those who personally dealt with customers.

“Oh no. I am done for the week, just closed up my shop and hoping for a few days of peace and quiet. Been working my ass off these last months and finally listened to my brother to come down a little.” Castiel opened his mouth, but before he could ask, Dean added: “I’m a mechanic. Have my own garage.” He held his hands up and Castiel could see that they were not only rough, like he had felt before, but also a little dark around the nails. Probably grease or something – Castiel was no expert on car maintenance. “So, what brings you to this place on a Friday afternoon, Cas?”

Castiel looked up into the handsome face again, and lost his track of mind. There was a reason he was here, right? Still absent-minded, Castiel replied: “I don’t know. The coffee is good. Why are _you_ here?” Castiel had started to feel self-conscious and the last line sounded probably too defensive, like the alpha had accused him of anything.

But the green-eyed mand did not seem fazed by the tone. The smile on Dean’s face widened, but Castiel hardly noticed it as he was still trying to remember why he had come here. Stupid heat. “Why, the coffee _is_ good. And hot. Just like…”

Castiel’s head jerked up. Gadreel! He saw the alpha vanish through a door behind the counter and panicked for a second. Was Gadreel’s shift over already? Had he missed his chance? Castiel furrowed his brows in disappointment as he stared at the door, waiting for Gadreel to, hopefully, come out again. Maybe he just needed to get some milk.

“Seriously, Cas, what is the story behind this? Now you’re even glaring at the door!”

“I am not glaring!” Castiel snapped, now glaring at Dean. He knew it was not the alpha’s fault, but Castiel had argued with himself for three weeks to come here on the first day of his next heat. And now he had missed his chance. Should he go and look for Gadreel outside? But, let’s be honest, what were the chances he would be brave enough to ask him out on the street if he had not done it so far. In his anger, he muttered, more to himself than the stranger: “I wanted to ask him to help me through my heat. And now he is gone!”

Dean blinked. Again. And looked completely dumbfounded. Then he turned his head around and stared at the same door Castiel had just been glaring at. Then he looked at the omega again.

“So… you two know each other?”

“Hardly. But I thought… I thought… Well, it doesn’t matter now what I thought.”

Dean sniffed openly, but of course, he could not make out anything. Still, he said: “Your heat is starting. And you are looking for an alpha… to help you through it.”

The man had an open smile on his face that strangely made Castiel’s stomach feel all queasy. It also made it hard to look anywhere but the alpha’s face. He nodded, a jerky movement.

“Then I fear asking Gadreel would not have been much use to you anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Did Dean think Castiel was not interesting enough to get Gadreel’s attention? Of course; he was right. The barista probably got hit at all the time, he suddenly realised, by much more handsome, and younger, omegas.

“Gadreel is --- not interested in omegas, Cas. I’m sorry. He’s into alphas.”

Castiel studied Dean for a moment, trying to find out if the alpha was making fun of him. Dean seemed like every stereotype of a butch alpha male – and those did not usually talk about that topic in such a matter-of-fact way. They usually made it sound like some disgusting disease. But Dean had sounded quite neutral. Still, Castiel’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I’m not making it up, I swear. He and my friend Benny had something going on a few months back. Poor sod is still pining, I fear, and won’t come here to get his coffee anymore.”

Castiel let out a long breath that turned into a sigh. Of course. Just his luck.

“I hope I did not… disappoint you too much here. But I think, since you obviously have a crush on him, it’s best to know what’s what. So you can move on, or whatever.”

“I don’t have a crush,” Castiel growled. Then sighed again. “I just… I didn’t want to spend another heat alone. And Gadreel --- he’s _nice_. And he smells good.”

“Oh. Well, then…” Dean put his hands on the table and Castiel thought for a second that he would get up and leave; leave Castiel to his misery. But then the alpha just cleared his throat before he said: “You know… like I mentioned before… I don’t really have anything planned tonight, so…?”

Castiel stared at the alpha before him in disbelief. Was he saying what Castiel thought he was saying? Castiel looked around, like he would find any clues in his surroundings. The only thing he found out was that the booths next to his were both completely empty. He narrowed his eyes a little and --- had the alpha been flirting with him? Oh, Balthazar would fall over laughing at this. They often had had a discussion where Castiel claimed that no one ever tried to flirt with him – while Balth claimed that Castiel was just too blind to see it.

But, truly, alphas never tried to chat him up. On the other hand, usually, Castiel was not alone when he was out on the weekends – and, if they ever noticed them, alphas only sneered at him, the unmated omega. And Jack, his _mistake_.

At that last thought, Castiel could feel his own frown deepen.

Dean leaned back in his chair, hands held up placatingly, but a smile that seemed a little insecure ghosted around his lips: “Now, I have to admit you are giving me mixed signals here. Usually, with that murderous look, I would quickly excuse myself and leave, but since you had the same stormy expression while you had wanted to ask Gadreel out, I’m thinking: maybe it’s not a bad sign?”

Castiel could feel a smile tug at his lips. He had to admit most people would have already shied away from his look. He knew people thought he was a bit ---- _reserved_ would be the nicest word. He also had to admit that he felt tempted. The alpha opposite him was handsome as hell. Gosh, he would have never even thought about approaching someone so attractive, believing he would not have a chance anyway. And now, this day of all days, a man like that just walked up to him and offered to help him through his heat. He almost assumed that Gabriel had called some heat services after all – but he would never be so cruel to let the guy pretend he had just coincidentally started to flirt with Castiel on the first day of his heat.

Castiel _had_ been after a one-night stand, hadn’t he? After the fiasco with Gadreel, this was his chance. Even if he did not stay the whole time, just one night would make Castiel feel more comfortable than he had been those last miserable years. Castiel knew he was not the most flexible person on the planet, but maybe a change of plans every now and then would not hurt.

Still, he mumbled: “I don’t even know you.”

The alpha leaned forwards again, looking at Castiel with that cocky smirk once more. “Then let me introduce myself. My name is Dean Winchester. I’m an Aquarius, I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach and fr--- you know what, forget about that. I have not been to the beach in…. ever. Me and my brother, we always wanted to find the time to get some sand between our toes, but… whatever. I am a mechanic, like I said. I also try to do some voluntary work for the community, and eat way more junk food than I probably should.” His expression turned overly serious and he almost whispered in a wonderful low voice, that had the queasy feeling in Castiel’s stomach turn into a riot of butterflies. “And I swear I am no psychotic serial killer.”

“…is exactly what a psychotic serial killer would say.” But there was a smile around Castiel’s lips as he said it. He liked this alpha. He liked how his skin tingled from the way he looked at him. God, it had been too long since someone had looked at him like that. And the alpha had not even smelled his heat yet.

Speaking of which, just like Dean had done a few moments before, Castiel tried to take in a breath, but again failed to make out any personal scent. Dean noticed his attempts to sniff him out, and his smile got cocky again. It was strange how he managed that expression by still not looking like one of those many insufferable, condescending alphas. He just looked --- playful. Boyish even.

“How about you wait here for a moment, and I go to the bathroom to wash off my blockers?”

Castiel nodded, grateful that he didn’t have to ask. He would not take anyone home if he had not smelled them before.

Dean got up and prowled to the restrooms with a smug stance, like Castiel had already invited him to his bed. And when the alpha came back a few minutes later – Castiel saw some omegas turn their heads as he walked by – he sat down next to Castiel, on the same bench, but not close enough to make Castiel feel trapped. Not close enough to touch.

And Castiel instantly knew he had made a decision.

On this first day of this heat, he would take home a ridiculously handsome alpha that smelled better than anything Castiel had ever smelled before. It was like all good things combined – old books, pine and whiskey. For this one weekend – or night, whatever it would be – he would pretend to be an unattached, careless omega, who had the freedom to take someone to his bed without a second thought. And maybe the third time _was_ the charm, and Dean would not be the same disaster as the last alphas had been.

“Ahem… Cas?”

“Yes?”

Castiel looked up and saw Dean had an eyebrow raised at him. Then the alpha chuckled – and Castiel’s eyes widened. He had somehow unconsciously leaned over to Dean, to breathe in his scent deeper. It was not like he had buried his nose in the crock of the alpha’s neck, but he was not that far from it.

“Can I…?” Dean pointedly looked at Castiel’s neck, and the omega stiffened. He understood that Dean wanted to get a whiff of him in return, but --- he had already almost slicked just now. He did not also want to smell of heat, in public.

But before Castiel could answer, Dean had gently taken his hand, turned it around and lifted it towards his face. Castiel shivered as he felt the tickle of soft lips, and tongue, on his wrist, before Dean took in a deep breath. When he let go of Castiel again, the alpha’s eyes were more black than green; and there was a definite smell of slick in the air.

>>><<< 

It took less than two minutes before Castiel was sitting in the passenger seat of a beautiful black car – he had no idea what model since Castiel had never been especially interested in vehicles before – and gave directions to his home.

The pair had not even noticed when Gadreel, back behind the counter, had called his goodbye after them as they had rushed out of the café.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

During the short drive, there was so much tension, and arousal, in the air, it seemed like the premise of every literotica ever written for omegas in heat. And Castiel had read plenty of those.

It was only when they arrived at Castiel’s apartment door that things got a little awkward.

Castiel’s hands started to tremble and he needed three tries before he was able to put the key into the lock. It did not help that Dean was clearly observing his feeble attempts. There was no hallway in his flat, so they stepped right into Castiel’s living room. It was one big space with high ceilings but it still seemed cosy and homey; one open doorway arch led to the kitchen with the dining table. Castiel loved his place, but right now, he was just flustered because he had never asked a stranger to his apartment before. Actually, other than some craftsmen, Dean might be the first alpha in here. Castiel fidgeted with his coat before he took it off and hang it on one of the handles next to the door. Then he walked a few steps into the room and turned around, looking expectantly at Dean – who had not moved one step away from the door. The alpha’s eyes had turned to normal during their drive and right now, Castiel could not even smell arousal on him anymore, which made him only more nervous. Maybe Dean had lost interest already. Or Castiel was simply doing something wrong. He was not exactly an expert on how to proceed after one had successfully lured an alpha into their nest for a heat. Maybe he should have just presented right away.

Not bearing the silence any longer, Castiel finally said: “So… how do you want to do this? Should I … undress here or…?”

Castiel’s hands instantly started playing at his own shirt and, finally, the alpha moved. Dean rushed towards him in three quick steps. He covered Castiel’s hands with his own, and the omega felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine at the warm touch.

“Easy, Cas. No need to rush.”

Castiel swallowed. “I’m sorry. I don’t --- I don’t usually do this.”

“What? Bring strange alphas into your home so they can help you through a heat?” Dean’s tone had been teasing, but Castiel nodded with a serious expression nonetheless. “Then I’m afraid it’s pretty obvious that you don’t usually do this.” Dean held his hands up defensively at Castiel’s hurt look. “Not that this is a bad thing. And you know, we don’t actually have to do anything, Cas. You can throw me out anytime you want. And we certainly don’t need to rush into anything.” The alpha breathed in deeply, leaning a little towards Castiel’s neck. “Your heat hasn’t even really started, it seems.”

Castiel did neither nod nor shake his head. He was pretty sure Dean’s assessment would have been different if he had not worn such strong blockers today. Castiel himself could feel his heat just fine. Especially with Dean so close to him. But even with his scent subdued, he was surprised that Dean had not savaged him already.

“Isn’t that what you came here for? For --- ahem… you know,” Castiel waved his hand in the general direction of Dean’s crotch, feeling all sorts of embarrassed.

“For some awesome heat sex?” Dean winked, then laughed at Castiel’s blush. “Sure. But not unless you are more comfortable. In the meantime, I’ll take whatever I can get. So… how about a beer first? And then maybe we can talk a little more.”

Castiel’s eyes widened in shock. Beer. Of course, this alpha’s alpha in front of him would want beer. Castiel’s kitchen was bursting with all kinds of prepared meals and drinks – but he had not once thought about purchasing _beer_. He didn’t like it much, and neither did his few usual visitors, as in Gabriel and Balthazar.

Confused by the shock on Castiel’s face, Dean stepped back again. “You want me to leave, Cas?”

“No,” Castiel replied, a little too quickly. “I just… there is no beer. I have wine, though. And soda. Orange juice, as well as apple and pineapple. And water, of course. I could also make some coffee,” he ended weakly.

“Okay, let’s have a glass of wine then.” Dean looked at his watch. “And maybe we could order some food. I have not eaten yet, and I admit I might get really hungry in an hour or two. And you need your strength as well, with that heat coming up. We could talk over some pizza or whatever you’d like.”

Castiel let out a relived sigh. Food. Good. That, he was prepared for.

“I have… I have already made some lasagne. We just need to put it into the oven for half an hour – if you’d like that.”

Dean beamed at him. “That would be perfect.”

Castiel walked to the kitchen area, Dean on his tail. He opened the fridge to get out the wine, but quickly turned around when he heard Dean laugh over his shoulder.

“Are you expecting to throw a party, Cas? I don’t think I have ever seen so much food in a private kitchen before.”

Castiel blushed. “I… ah… I like to prepare for my … when I know I won’t be able to go out for a couple of days and won’t be in the mood for cooking, I usually make some in advance.”

Still chuckling, Dean took the bottle of wine from Castiel and opened it with the corkscrew he had found on the sideboard. While Castiel put the fully prepared casserole from the fridge to the oven, Dean had found some glasses in a cabinet and already poured in the red liquid, handing one glass to Castiel after the omega had set the temperature and the timer.

“You want some salad as well?”

Dean hesitated for a moment – and Castiel was sure he would decline, judging from the almost horrified look on his face – but then said: “I don’t know. Do _you_ want salad with your lasagne?”

Castiel cocked his head to the side. “I think I do.”

Just as he wanted to open the fridge again, he caught Dean staring at his neck. Instead of moving away, the omega bared his throat a little bit more and was oddly satisfied when Dean stepped towards him, like he didn’t even do it on purpose but just followed some instinct. Dean licked his lips, and Castiel could not look away from them.

“Can I…?” Dean asked, still staring at Castiel’s neck. The omega nodded as well as he could in his position, and a second later, he felt Dean’s hot breath at his throat, then his nose. Dean growled a little and when Castiel felt a tongue lick over his sensitive skin he imagined that the alpha was frustrated that he could not clearly smell him. He did it again, and Castiel’s legs suddenly turned weak. He held onto Dean’s shoulders to stay grounded.

“This okay?” Dean asked.

This time, Castiel nodded much more vehemently – and Dean started to nibble at his neck in earnest, like he had a goal.

Oh, yes, Castiel thought, this was very okay.

Castiel moaned a little and felt like it might not be so hard to be with this strange alpha after all. So close, he could drink in Dean’s scent and felt how it made his mind foggy already. He did not know how long they stood there like that, the omega’s back to the fridge, hands still tightly on Dean’s shoulders while the alpha focused on his neck with lips and tongue and just the lightest scratch of teeth. Eventually, the alpha buried his nose on the crook of Castiel’s neck again, and the omega could swear he felt Dean smile. When he finally pulled back to look into Castiel’s eyes, he certainly did.

“Much better. It’s been driving me nuts that I could not scent you properly. Especially after I got that sample in the coffee shop. You smell amazing, Cas.”

Castiel blushed a little and replied: “Thank you,” in an all too formal tone. Then he added, with an untypically playful smirk: “You don’t smell too bad yourself.”

Dean clicked his tongue. “Like I don’t know it. The way you almost savaged me in that café.”

Before Castiel could reply – teasing or outraged, he had not yet made up his mind – Dean waved him off and opened the fridge again. “So, salad. I’m not good with the green stuff, but I’ll try my best.” He put out some lettuce, tomatoes and even found the cucumber hidden in the back of the bottom drawer. He then pulled out a bowl, a cutting board and knifes while Castiel simply stood there, watching him. Usually, he would probably feel on edge with a stranger moving around in his kitchen like he owned the place, but it was somehow endearing how Dean had obviously decided he would contribute something to their dinner, and Castiel did not even try to change the alpha’s mind after he had motioned him to just stand back when he wanted to help.

For a second, Castiel thought this felt more like a date than some sex arrangement.

And that feeling certainly intensified when they finally sat down and ate their dinner. They were exchanging some more details about their lives, with Castiel cautiously avoiding some topics, like his parents or why exactly he had moved to this city six years ago. But Dean did not seem to notice how nervous he got whenever the alpha talked about his own family; how his parents had both died years ago and the alpha seemed to share a close bond with his brother, who had still been very young by the time their father had passed away from cancer. Castiel carefully did not mention any family members other than Gabriel and Balthazar, leaving his parents completely out of the conversation. And, of course, his son. He rather told Dean a little about his job – and blushed when the alpha made a remark about hot librarians that obviously had to do with porn. The omega learned during their meal that Dean not only cared deeply for his beta brother – and might even be a little too much on the protective side there, as Dean admitted himself – but also had a strange obsession with his car, as well as pie. Overall, he seemed like a decent man, and not at all like either a serial killer, or one of the many knotheads that usually tried to pick up omegas in heat. But then, one of those would probably already have pushed Castiel to his knees, instead of amiably chatting with him at the dinner table.

The whole meal felt pleasant and Castiel could not stop thinking it was almost like a date – a very good one at that – and he only jerked up in panic once. When both men still had their plates full. From his chair, he saw a brightly coloured book on the floor behind his couch – _Astrophysics for Kids_– and jumped up to put it in a drawer before Dean could see the cover. He mumbled something about how he disliked disarray in his apartment – which probably made him look more finical than he actually was. Fortunately, Dean did not ask about it further but only shrugged at Castiel’s odd behaviour. While Castiel instantly felt shame creep through his whole body. He was hiding Jack like a dirty little secret. But, just for once, he wanted to appear like he was without ties. He wanted to enjoy one weekend without judgement, or disapproval, of a stranger.

And, if anyone was his dirty little secret in this story, it would most certainly be Dean.

As he watched the alpha chuckle about some story about a customer who had brought in a car that was perfectly fine, other than the emergency break being put on, Castiel pondered that Dean definitely looked the part of a _dirty little secret_.

“Maybe she just needed a reason to talk to you. To get your number,” Castiel blurted out.

“Oh, you think?” Dean had such a cocky expression on his face that Castiel frowned a little in irritation – or maybe the slightest jealousy at that stranger who had been to Dean’s shop. “Well then she must have been disappointed, because even though Mildred is a very nice lady, betas in their seventies are not really my type.”

To deflect himself from that absolutely ridiculous feeling of relief, Castiel said the next thing that came to his mind: “What _is_ your type, then?”

And suddenly, with those few words, the atmosphere in the whole room changed. There was a sizzle in the air as Dean looked directly into Castiel’s eyes, and took the hand closest to him. He stroked his thumb over Castiel’s wrist, and the omega suddenly had trouble breathing. He was very violently reminded of his heat as he felt a dragging pain in his abdomen, not so much hurting as longing.

“Well, I seem to really like omegas with strikingly blue eyes and sex-ruffled hair before anyone has even touched it. I also seem to be weirdly attracted to a certain death stare.”

Suddenly, not even thinking about it, Castiel leaned forwards and all but smashed his lips on Dean’s. The alpha tasted of their dinner, of wine, and so deliciously of _alpha_, Castiel groaned out at just the first contact. Dean pulled back, but before Castiel could complain, he nibbled at his lips again, playfully asking Castiel to part them until their tongues stroked each other. There, sitting awkwardly at his dinner table, Castiel enjoyed the longest make-out session he had in nearly nine years. Dean’s lips felt soft and warm, he moaned a little when he felt Dean’s teeth scratch over his jaw and down to his neck, the alpha’s hands brushing through his hair, and over his back.

When he thought it was getting too much, the yearning in him too strong, Castiel suddenly stood, and dragged Dean with him. The alpha followed him obediently with only a light chuckle. When they arrived in Castiel’s bedroom, the omega immediately started tugging at Dean’s shirt, trying to pull it over the alpha’s head. Suddenly, he could not wait one second longer to see more skin, to touch and be touched. This was like most of his heats went – there was a slow build all day until it suddenly just got too much.

Fortunately, Dean did not argue; in fact, he was getting rid of his own clothes so fast that Castiel had only managed to throw off his shirt while Dean was already completely naked. And that just made him pause in his own movements. Castiel let his eyes wander over the alpha’s body as he wanted to drink in every inch of skin. Dean was absolutely gorgeous. From the perfect face to the broad chest and the toned arms, the long legs – and the sight of the already half-hard cock made Castiel whine out like every stereotype of an omega in heat. He froze, partly from embarrassment, partly just because this felt like such a big step for him. He had not been with an alpha in five years. And that had even just been a horrible attempt at a onetime fling. It suddenly felt like he did not even know how this whole thing worked anymore – though his body still seemed to have an idea as Castiel could already feel slick pool in his underwear.

After a few seconds that well might have been hours, Dean stroked gentle hands over Castiel’s arms, over his chest, hovering over his waistband. It seemed like he wanted to get rid of Castiel’s remaining clothes himself, but then Dean only licked over Castiel’s throat – an action that, he must have found out by now, was really well received by Castiel – and walked a little closer, crowding in on the smaller man until he fell down backwards on the bed, Dean on top of him.

Dean kissed him again, for an eternity, and Castiel’s ability to worry, and think, was subdued. Dean licked and nibbled a line down Castiel’s throat and to his chest until his mouth played with his nipple. When Dean lightly scratched his teeth around it, Castiel tensed and pulled softly on Dean’s short hair.

The alpha immediately looked up, a question in his eyes.

“I don’t like teeth. Not… there.”

Dean smiled and went on to kiss and lick over Castiel’s chest, not using his teeth again. It was only when he worked his way back up that he nipped lightly at Castiel’s throat. The omega let out a moan, and another gush of slick. The air in the room was already thick with the scent of heat and slick. His pants felt sticky and Castiel suddenly sat up, shoving Dean to the side in his impatience – earning him a little growl – and he pulled down his pants along with his underwear and socks so quick like they were burning into his skin.

He made to present to Dean, but the alpha had already pulled his arms around him and laid Castiel back on the bed, so he could look up at Dean. The omega pushed his hips up tentatively, so their erections brushed over each other and Castiel was glad that this time it was not only him who let out a moan. He could feel Dean’s hands on his butt, kneading his cheeks before a finger played around his hole. Castiel pushed his hips down quickly, eager to finally be filled with something and let out another groan when Dean soon slid a second finger into him. Dean spent some time spreading his fingers in Castiel’s hole – like the omega needed the preparation, with how slick he already was. All the while, Castiel was torn between rubbing his cock against Dean’s and pushing down on the alpha’s strong fingers, until it was all just getting too overwhelming. He needed to be filled properly.

“I need… I need you, alpha,” Castiel said when he finally decided Dean worked too slow for him.

The man above him stopped his movements, and even frowned. “Dean. My name is Dean.”

“Dean,” Castiel whined, not really sure what the alpha wanted. “I need you. Now.” The last word sounded suspiciously like a growl.

Dean finally seemed to catch on. He pulled his fingers out of him, letting his slick-covered hands wander over Castiel’s thighs and leaned down to kiss him; but Castiel suddenly held a hand to his chest.

“Condoms. Top drawer.” He nodded his head to the nightstand, a little nervous. The last time, he had needed to argue. But even though Castiel had taken a pill before his heat to avoid pregnancy, he did not know this alpha in his bed – who seemed not half as new to this kind of situation as Castiel – and would definitely insist on protection. But Dean did not even try to make any arguments about how it would not feel as good or about his sudden allergy to latex; he just nodded and opened the drawer.

Then he almost toppled off the bed in a fit of laughter.

“Oh, Cas, you certainly are prepared. I hope you won’t be disappointed if we don’t need all of those in just one heat. I mean, I’m not twenty anymore…”

Castiel blushed, but was still too fogged by lust to feel overly embarrassed. He watched as Dean pulled out a pack – one in a regular size and colour, not the bright XXXL Super-Knots package – and his gaze got hungry when Dean quickly pulled it over his erect cock. He really wanted that cock. Now.

A moment later, Dean’s lips were on his again, and then the alpha pushed his member slowly into Castiel who still lay on his back, legs wrapped around the alpha’s waist, tightening them a little to make him move faster. But Dean waited for him to adjust, which Castiel probably would have liked every other occasion, but after what had felt an eternity of foreplay, he just wanted to be filled. He pushed against Dean a little more, and moaned when the alpha pulled out again just to thrust back in in one long, deliberate movement.

Dean’s pace was slow and careful, and he watched Castiel’s face intently like he was looking for any sign of discomfort. It felt wonderful and torturous and so, so right, but there was still something missing. And Castiel was done waiting.

Suddenly, with a low growl, Castiel grabbed Dean’s shoulders and switched them around so that the alpha was on his back with Castiel straddling him, the large cock still buried in his hole. Castiel let out a loud moan, feeling the length sinking even deeper into him in this new position.

He hesitated a little bit, but as he looked down at Dean, the alpha’s eyes were wide and dark, and he had his hands on Castiel’s thighs, massaging them up to his ass. And in that moment Castiel decided he would not be ashamed for what he wanted, would take everything Dean was willing to give him. He would take as much out of this heat with a stranger as he could.

He swallowed down every feeling of self-consciousness and embarrassment, and moved up and down Dean’s cock, moaning at the wonderful feeling, especially as Dean started to join into his rhythm and thrust his hips up to meet every of Castiel’s movements. It felt so _right_.

Castiel’s movements got more erratic, already too close to release, and when Dean sat up to nip into his neck, sat up until Castiel was basically jumping up and down in his lap, and stroked a knowing hand over Castiel’s cock, the omega came with a loud cry and a sudden force that surprised himself.

Dean grunted as he kept pushing up into Castiel’s tight heat. He almost seemed to wait for something. The omega was still dazed from his orgasm, but he realised --- there was still something missing.

“Knot me. Knot me, please.”

And a moment later, the alpha came with a loud groan and Castiel’s body was tied to Dean’s. It was perfect, and he rumbled happily as he fell against Dean’s chest, both men breathing heavily, vision still blurred and almost deaf for the moment.

Castiel made himself comfortable against Dean’s chest after the alpha had laid back down. His knot would not come down for at least fifteen minutes. And Castiel had no intention of being anywhere else right now. He was in the perfect position to scent Dean – and god, with a real knot and the smell of alpha around him, he had no idea how he had managed to survive the last seven years of heats.

Dean stirred a little, and then pulled both his arms around Castiel’s back, tugging him even closer to his chest.

“Am I too heavy?” Castiel mumbled, suddenly very, very tired.

Dean huffed out a laugh, and Castiel felt the sound vibrate in the chest beneath him. “Nah, I could spend a whole week like this.”

“I fear I have been a bit … forward. I am sorry for that.” Castiel felt the need to apologise. Alphas probably did not usually like it when an omega decided to switch on top, especially during heat sex.

“Are you kidding? You riding me was one of the hottest things ever. And I very much prefer that to someone just lying there and waiting for me to do something when I cannot tell if they even like it or not. Besides, if you don’t show me what you want, then how will I know?”

Castiel smiled into Dean’s shoulder. Then he teased: “Are you saying you are the only alpha in the world that has no fantasies about needy omegas in heat, presenting to you and begging for your big knot.”

Dean let out a strange mixture of a laugh and a growl. It sounded unbelievable sexy and Castiel could feel it roaming through his whole body. Then the alpha drawled into his ear, voice low and seductive: “What I _am_ saying is we still have a whole weekend ahead of us. And there are more ways than one of spending it.”

Just before he dozed off, Castiel’s heart fluttered a little at the thought that Dean seemingly planned to stay during the whole duration of his heat.

>>><<< 

Sure enough, five hours later had Castiel in exactly the same position he had teased Dean earlier about. He was on his hands and knees, presenting his ass to Dean, who had spent the last twenty minutes teasing three fingers in and out of Castiel’s hole, stroking over his sweet spot every now and then, a little too deliberately for Castiel’s liking, because he seemed to pull back every time Castiel was close to the edge. He was sweaty, and slick was running out of him, and he did not think he could manage to wait any longer. But still, this torture was absolutely delicious.

When Dean suddenly nipped at Castiel’s shoulder and then stroked the hand that was not currently busy in his hole over his back, Castiel let out a loud groan.

“Dean. Just… You better hurry up or I will throw you out and… and use some toys to help me get through the next few days.” Castiel had tried to sound authoritative, but the way he caught his breath between words probably did not help making him appear anything but a lust-fevered mess. Castiel could practically feel Deans grin as the alpha had now nibbled his way down Castiel’s spine and was currently licking over the soft flesh of his ass.

“There’s toys?” Dean asked, sounding like a kid under the Christmas Tree.

“Dean,” Castiel begged – there was no other word for it.

After a short silence, Castiel was not sure whether he should be relieved or disappointed, the alpha added: “Maybe next round.”

And then Castiel let out a moan that was so loud he feared his creepy neighbour might have heard it. But Dean had suddenly decided that three fingers were not enough to pleasure/torture Castiel with anymore, and pushed his tongue into the omega’s hole.

“Dean!” Castiel screamed, nearly in outrage. No one had ever done this to him. And it felt so good. Gods, it felt good. And lewd. While Dean went on with his work to completely take Castiel apart, the omega’s hands gave out until he sank down on his elbows, stretching his back even more and practically pushing his ass into Dean’s face.

“Dean, please… please, it’s too much. I need … knot.”

At those words, Dean finally took pity on him, and soon Castiel felt a hard cock pushing into him. This time, Dean was a lot rougher than before, thrusting in and out of Castiel in a quick pace that made Castiel whimper in the best of ways. And just a few minutes later, the two men were locked together for the third time that night. Castiel was still seeing stars when Dean rolled to his side and pulled Castiel with him so the omega’s back was pressed to his chest.

And just like during the other times before, Dean cuddled, hold and gently stroked over Castiel until his knot went down. By that time, Castiel was usually too drowsy or even already asleep, so he hardly noticed when Dean fetched a washcloth and some water. He only grumbled when Dean made him drink before he could slumber away again. Every time he had been filled, Castiel felt not only sated but also like he was ready to doze off into a coma for weeks; but in reality, he just woke up an hour later, ready for his alpha to take him again.

He really hoped Dean would decide to stay the whole weekend.

And maybe --- well, there was no use in dreaming about things that would never be.


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

Castiel awoke feeling positively --- famished. Just to underline that feeling, his stomach growled impatiently. Still drowsy, Castiel wondered if maybe he could get one of those wonderful cinnamon buns he seemed to have been dreaming about so vividly just minutes ago. He swore he could even smell them. Maybe Jack had somehow sneaked out of the house and got some for breakfast – he often went to the bakery on Saturday mornings. But never without asking first, and he shouldn’t. Castiel shifted a little, just to notice that there was something rather heavy on him that made it hard to move. He felt like too hot and absolutely perfect at the same time. And the scent in his room was just wonderful this morning. It smelled like books, and leather and pine and…

Finally, Castiel’s mind started to work again.

He was in heat.

And not alone.

Castiel opened his eyes and looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was already 10 am. He tried to move again, but it seemed impossible with that octopus of an alpha next to him, who had clutched his arms and legs around him like Castiel was some sort of oversized stuffed animal. During the night, Castiel had been more than happy with the alpha’s attention, and his surprising cuddliness, but right now, Castiel urgently needed to be somewhere. And it was not even the kitchen.

He tried to pull Dean’s arms away from his waist, but the other man just tightened his grip and mumbled something into Castiel’s neck about how it was still _way too early to get up_.

“Dean,” Castiel tried to wake the alpha up, at least long enough so he would let go of him. “I need to get up. It’s urgent.” The alpha did not move. “Bathroom. Now.” At the very moment he had said it, his stomach let out another loud growl. “And then I need to find something to eat.”

Sometime during his words, Dean had opened one eye, and even loosened his death grip. He seemed a little disoriented for a moment, but then he rolled over until he lay on his back, rubbed a hand over his eyes while the other one was still loosely thrown over Castiel’s waist. The alpha made a faint attempt at smiling. Either he was generally not a morning person – or it had been all of that not-sleep last night that made him look so tired. Castiel was usually already up and about at around eight on the weekends – but, well, he had a kid. And the time when Jack would sleep until noon was still a few years away.

“Cas. Hey. Morning. How are you feeling?” Dean’s voice sounded wonderfully husky this morning, and if Castiel did not have to take care of some things so urgently, he might have gotten other ideas.

“Very well, thank you.” Castiel knew that he had a soft smile around his lips that he couldn’t hold back. “But now I really need to get up.”

“Okay,” Dean replied, but it still took a moment before he let go of Castiel completely, a charming pout on his face as he did so.

Even Castiel hesitated for a moment. He was not averse to the idea of cuddling some more, especially because he did not know if he would ever get the chance to do so again; but his bladder seemed unpersuadable.

In the bathroom, Castiel decided to take a quick shower to get rid of all the slick and sweat and come that was all over his body, despite Dean’s attempts to keep both of them from getting too gross; then he brushed his teeth and changed into some slacks and a too-big shirt, feeling livelier already.

After he was done, he shouted through the half-open bedroom door: “Feel free to use the shower. I already put out some towels and other cleaning devices for you.”

All he got in response was a loud groan. It sounded very much like Dean had fallen asleep again. Castiel smirked. He might have worn out the manly alpha in his bedroom last night. But his smile turned into a grimace as he realised that he probably should not get overly cocky – his walk was a little too funny this morning for him to make fun of Dean. But despite the ache in his backside, he felt glowingly healthy. His doctor had probably been right. An alpha _did_ help with the pains, and the nausea – not to mention that delirious-making feel of need.

When Castiel arrived in the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. Dean must have been busy during the night. Castiel’s mind might have been a bit foggy at the time they had ended their meal, but he was pretty sure he had not cleaned the table before he dragged Dean to his bedroom. But now, the kitchen was spotless, the dishwasher seemed to have just finished – and the table was halfway set for breakfast – for two people. Even the coffee was already prepared so that Castiel only had to press one button until it started the gurgling sound he liked so much in the morning.

And in the middle of the table lay the best thing of all: A bag from _Cain’s Bakery_, filled with fresh, delicious smelling rolls – and the very cinnamon buns Castiel had been fantasising about.

When had Dean done this?

And why?

Castiel could not contain himself and quickly took a few bites – feeling slightly embarrassed that he could not wait until his guest joined him. Filled with new, sugary energy, Castiel took some eggs out of the fridge, along with mushrooms and tomatoes, and bacon. He decided to prepare a vast breakfast, partly because he was starved, partly because he wanted to do something for Dean. Which felt odd. But the alpha had been so considerate last night, and so far, this heat-with-a-stranger experiment had worked out much better than Castiel had ever dared to hope.

When Dean walked towards the table twenty minutes later – hair still wet, only in jeans and still slightly pouting – Castiel felt highly rewarded by the smile that lightened up the alpha’s face at the sight of their breakfast.

“Wow, Cas, this looks great.”

Castiel cursed himself for blushing at the mild compliment. “Well, not as great as the cinnamon buns. When… why did you get them?”

“After… after the last round you kept talking in your sleep. About how much you want some. Took me a while to figure it out – it sounded like _cinnamones_. But you said it over and over again. Like you tried to conjure them out of the blue. So I decided to get a few. Luckily, they had them in the bakery just down the street. So it was nothing, really, not like I had to search through the whole town or something like that.”

Dean did shrug like it was nothing special. But in Castiel’s life, as an unmated omega father, no one had done something so sweet for him in a long, long while. And certainly not a strange alpha. Nonetheless, Castiel just nodded, and said: “Thank you, Dean. That was very kind of you.”

Dean rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and smiled to the floor.

They ate their breakfast in amiable silence. And just like the night before, Dean did not at all feel out of place in Castiel’s apartment. They cleaned the table together, just like they might have done this a dozen times by now. Dean sometimes brushed a hand over the omega’s back, or kissed his temple, and Castiel even giggled a little when the alpha laid his arms around him from behind and rested his chin on his head for a moment.

Even when he had hoped to persuade Gadreel into his bed, Castiel had never imagined he would be in such a good mood after the first night of his heat. He’d never expected it to be so cosy, and sweet and --- natural.

But that suddenly changed when they had put everything back in place, and the alpha stepped away from Castiel, standing right under the arch to the living room. Dean stuffed his hands in his back pockets, and looked sheepishly to the side. He seemed bashful, a sight Castiel had not seen on the alpha before.

“So… I guess I should go home now…”

“What? No!” Castiel realised his reaction might have been a bit vehement, so he modulated his tone to something more reasonable and added: “I mean, my heat will last at least one more day and night… and I thought… that is if you are still free…”

Dean’s mouth twitched, and he seemed to regain some of his natural confidence. He said: “Maybe I should still get some clean clothes from home.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “And shave. And I imagine you would like a few hours to yourself in between… but I could come back tonight.”

“Okay. Very well then. If that is what you want.”

Dean cocked his head to the side a little. “What do _you_ want, Cas?”

The question hung between them for a moment, like it was loaded with a different meaning, a deeper meaning. But Castiel did not want to read too much into it.

“I would not mind the … ahem … company. And, really, you don’t need clothes in here anyway. Or shaving.” Castiel blushed, suddenly realising his words sounded odd, at best. “I mean… it’s not that cold. And I could lend you some sweatpants. I’m sure they will fit and… a bit of a beard might actually suit you…”

Castiel noticed he was rambling and stopped mid-speech as Dean had started to laugh. Then the alpha winked, walked towards Castiel and pulled his arms around his waist again. “You saying you want me here, naked and ready, the whole weekend?”

“That idea certainly has some appeal,” Castiel replied dryly, refusing to feel embarrassed, and Dean just huffed out another chuckle.

>>><<< 

Unsurprisingly, in the end, Dean stayed.

Since neither man felt very energetic after their long night of little sleep and Castiel’s heat seemed to be calm enough for the moment, they decided to simply watch some movie on the couch. Dean laughed again when Castiel admitted he had no Netflix, or any other kind of streaming service, just some old DVDs. After a short discussion, they compromised on _Groundhog Day _and huddled together under a blanket – which Castiel had insisted on. Not because it was cold, but because a blanket always made him feel better. Just as much as it made him feel oddly content that Dean currently wore one of his old sweatpants and a washed-out shirt.

For the next half hour, Castiel was not really paying any attention to the movie, but he did notice every time Dean would laugh or talk along the lines with Bill Murray.

He liked this a lot. The night had been without a doubt satisfying, but this – eating together, lying on the couch – felt just as good. Dean seemed quite content as well, Castiel thought as he watched him from the side again. And suddenly the omega had an idea. Maybe… he could invite Dean for all of his heats from now on. But that was ridiculous. Dean was incredibly handsome. And charming. And he smelled so, so good. He would not want to stay on alert every eight weeks for Castiel to call. He would probably have all but forgotten about him in a month or so.

But still, now that this thought was planted in his mind…

“This is nice,” Castiel said tentatively.

“M-hm,” Dean replied. And moved them around a little so Castiel was now lying almost on top of Dean, their legs entangled. But the alpha was still not looking at the omega as he watched Bill Murray getting killed again and again.

Maybe he should not push the subject now. Maybe he should wait until Dean _would_ leave, and _then_ ask him. It might kill the mood right now. Put pressure on Dean. Not to mention would he have to find a new solution for the whole Jack-situation. But Castiel could never easily let go of an idea.

“I thought … maybe … we could do this again. That I could call you on my next heat --- and if you didn’t have anything better – I mean, of course, I would not want to interfere with any of your plans, but if you’d happen to have time…”

Dean’s arms tightened around Castiel. A good sign, probably. At least he was not getting up and running. Or maybe he was just buying time.

“Sure,” Dean replied eventually, eyes still on the screen. “But let me buy you dinner first. Or maybe we could visit some concert together. Or go out and see a movie.”

The butterflies from the night before were right back and decided to throw a party in Castiel’s stomach. He closed his eyes for a moment and let himself enjoy the picture in his head.

“Like --- a date?”

Dean laughed, and finally looked at Castiel. “Yeah, like a date. What did you think I was trying to do when I chatted you up yesterday?”

“You wanted to --- ask me out? On a _date_? Me?” Castiel knew he sounded completely incredulous. He had imagined that Dean had been after an easy lay, but --- dinner? A movie?

“Yeah, Captain Obvious. I was trying to snag your number, or maybe ask you to get to another place and eat with me right away. But then you suddenly started talking about heats and alphas and stuff. And, well, I am an opportunist. Besides, there is nothing wrong with doing things backwards.” He still had that cocky smirk on his face, but it wavered as Castiel just kept staring at him. “But if you only want a booty call for your heats, I guess we could do that as well.”

“No! No. I mean, yes. No!”

“Again with the mixed signals, Cas.” But though his words had been teasing, Dean looked completely serious.

Castiel sat up and moved to the side, not touching Dean anymore, and the alpha rose to a sitting position as well, frowning.

A date. He would love to go on a date with Dean. But --- He might be able to pretend he was unattached for a few heats. But not with someone ---- not if there was a possibility --- at a relationship?

After a few seconds, Castiel noticed that Dean was watching him warily. He had been quiet for too long already. But he was not sure how to say what he needed to say. For a second, he wished he had not started on the topic of his next heat, wished they could just snuggle on the couch again.

“I would love to go out on a date with you, but … I am not sure you’ll still want to when you know that…” Castiel swallowed, but he knew he could not keep this a secret any longer. “I have a kid, Dean.”

Castiel was preparing himself for the look of contempt he had seen on so many faces. But Dean only seemed confused, and then he looked around the living room like he was expecting Jack to magically appear out of nowhere.

“A kid?”

“Yes. A son. His name is Jack.”

Only then did Dean’s eyes flicker shortly to Castiel’s neck – that held no mark. Other than some light hickeys Dean had put there last night. But Dean’s gaze quickly went back to Castiel’s eyes.

“And Jack--- he doesn’t like his father being out on dates?”

“What? No. I mean… I have never been out on a date since… since… well, since Jack.”

“And where is he now? I mean --- does he even live with you?” Again, Dean looked around the place that did not seem to hold any trace of a child. “How old is he?”

“He is seven. And yes, he does live with me. But when I am in heat, he usually stays either with my brother Gabriel or my cousin Balthazar while I take care of myself as good as I can. I just --- my heats kept getting worse during the last year, so this time I decided to … I wanted to…”

“Pick up some hot alpha to help you?”

Castiel nodded. “Yes. Jack is with Balth until Monday afternoon, when he comes home from school. And I cleaned the place up before I went out – everything of Jack is in his room, which I locked up. Even the paintings on the fridge or any other signs of him.” Castiel felt that shame rise in his gut again – shame that he had done all that to hide his beloved kid.

“Why?”

Castiel stared at Dean. The man could not be serious. But he looked befuddled enough to mean it.

“Because most alphas don’t react well to unclaimed omegas with a kid. The first time I tried to do something like this, the guy berated me for being a stupid bitch before he stormed out. I admit, it still bemuses me that he dared criticise me for _getting knocked up without a mating mark_,” Castiel growled out, using air quotes, “when he himself only wanted some sex _without strings attached_. The other time, the alpha seemed to believe he could treat an unmated omega with a kid however he liked – so _I _kicked _him_ out in the end. And then I decided that toys and painkillers were good enough to get me through a heat.”

Dean blinked. And Castiel was surprised about how much he had revealed about his past.

“I’m sorry, Cas. There are just too many asshats out there.” Dean licked his lips. “But you know that not all alphas are like that, right? Single parents are not that uncommon these days, with or without a mark. And I don’t mind. I mean… I don’t know, I --- I like kids. And I certainly don’t think any less of you because you are a single father. I imagine you have to be pretty tough to raise a child on your own.”

“You _like_ kids?” Castiel asked, completely incredulous. He had never heard an – unmated! – alpha say something like that. Alphas might be interested in an offspring to their heritage or something stupid as that – but the emotional side of wanting kids was usually only expected of omegas.

“Yeah… I --- I even work with SON. You know them?” Castiel nodded, of course he knew _Support for Omegas in Need_, the only organisation that tried to help children of single omega parents, among other matters. They provided financial support as well as free leisure time facilities for the kids, where they would not be judged and surrounded by other children with a similar background. Jack took violin classes of the programme – and Castiel enjoyed how none of the other parents ever looked at him funny when he picked his kid up afterwards. Because they were all in the same position. Of course, Castiel thought it was just as important that Jack mixed with children of any other background, but sometimes, it felt good to have people around who understood his fate. Even though not everyone at Jack’s school did actually look down on them – Dean was right, there were not only assbutts in this world – but with countless bad experiences, Castiel was always suspicious. Always wary at every smile. So much so that Gabriel had felt the need to lecture him that sometimes people who treated him friendly were just that: friendly. And maybe, Dean was one of those people.

“I did not start out of my own free will, to be honest. But a good friend of mine works there. Charlie Bradbury, maybe you know her too?” Castiel nodded eagerly; of course he knew Charlie. “Well, a few years back, some volunteer pulled out on short notice and she persuaded me to go camping with a bunch of children for a week. Honestly, I was scared shitless. I had never done anything of the kind before. But – turned out to be a lot of fun. I do it twice a year since then. And I coach a mixed archery team.”

Wow. Castiel was completely overwhelmed with that information. Moreover, if his son would be interested more in sports than in science or art, Castiel might have already met Dean. Charlie had even once tried to convince him to send Jack on one of those camping sites, claiming that a week for himself would be good for Castiel as well as it might benefit Jack, who could be quite introverted, to spend some time with other children. He started smiling. And Dean probably thought this was a good moment to ask the uncomfortable question everyone Castiel had met in the last seven years seemed to have on their mind.

“I know this is none of my business, but… what happened to Jack’s other parent?”

Castiel’s face froze, and his smile turned into a grimace.

“You don’t have to tell me…”

But Castiel wanted to tell him. He suddenly felt the need to tell Dean. Needed him to understand. And maybe just simply needed someone to talk to. Some of those things had been pent up for years.

“He didn’t want him.” Castiel felt tears run down his face, sudden and hot, and he did not struggle as Dean pulled him into his arms again. “We’ve been in a relationship for almost two years, when… I suddenly got pregnant. I have been nervous to tell Luce, but, to be honest, I expected he would be a bit shocked, but then he would tell me how it would all work out. I did _not_ expect him to say that we were too young or that he would not have his life ruined by a ---- a _mistake_ like that. He made it obvious that I should get rid of it; said he would even pay for the procedure. Otherwise, it would only be _my_ problem. He made it obvious that he did not want to have anything to do with me, or my child, should I decide to have the baby.

He seemed to be pretty surprised when I broke off with him after that conversation. It had probably never happened before. But just the idea of staying with him after _that_ was ludicrous. And I mean, sure, we were young, --- but not _that_ young. I was in my mid-twenties and Luce even older than me. We might not have planned it, but we were no children anymore. He had already started his own business, which did quite well from the beginning.” Castiel sighed, trying to release the bad memories with his breath. “It took me a few years to figure out that the child was probably not the only thing he didn’t want in his future.”

“I’m sorry, Cas. But good riddance. And you obviously went through that well enough. You mentioned your brother before. Your family helped you?”

Castiel scoffed. “My family --- is very religious. I admit that I had not yet made up my mind about the baby. What I should do… you know, I would never judge a person for getting an abortion in that kind of situation. But I just couldn’t… I couldn’t bring myself to do it. And then my mother found out about my _condition_. First, my parents both spat at me for having a sexual relationship before marriage, like I might have as well thrown myself at Satan incarnate. And then they persuaded me to carry the baby to term. Since anything else would be a deadly sin.”

Castiel took in a deep breath. “They wanted me to give him away after birth. They expected me to carry a baby, my son, in my womb for nine months, and then just give him away – to some loving happy family that could take better care of him than me, as they said. But I couldn’t do that. How could I ever do that? When I decided I would keep him, my parents and sisters cut all ties with me. My unfortunate mistake was obviously too much for them to bare. What would people of their community say? In the end, I decided to move into a different city, but I could not afford more than a rundown room that was hardly big enough for a rat to live in. But Gabriel helped me as best as he could. And, to my surprise, as soon as the rumour mill in my extended family started, Balthazar called me and said he had found me a flat his friend wanted to rent out. And so I ended up here.”

They sat there for a while in silence, Dean stroking a hand up and down his back, emanating a wonderfully protective and calming scent, while Castiel sniffed into Dean’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Cas. Really sorry you had to go through that. But your kid can be happy to have you. It takes strength to pull that off, and I have no doubt you are a wonderful father to Jack. And really, I guess it is much better for him to grow up with only one parent if the other one is a complete dick anyway.”

Castiel choked out a laugh. “Thank you, Dean.” He pulled back and looked down where his head had rested. “I’m sorry I made your shirt wet. But I believe I needed that. Or maybe the heat is making me overly emotional.”

“Hey, none of that. There is no shame in crying. And I guess with a child to look after, and a full-time job, you don’t have that many chances to let off some steam.”

Dean was right. Castiel almost never let himself get emotional. And he never allowed himself to cry, always afraid that Jack would notice. And it had felt especially good to talk about his past to an alpha – an alpha who did not judge him, but said he was brave and strong. He felt more tears run down his face, more from a sudden feeling relief than anything else. It felt like some heavy weight had been lifted from his heart. No matter what would happen between him and Dean, for the moment, the omega was just happy that he had someone to talk to, someone who just listened. That he had opened up enough to give Dean the chance – something else he almost never did.

Just as Castiel made to cuddle into Dean’s side again, the alpha suddenly let out a deep growl, and Castiel shrank back on instinct. Dean looked --- murderous. And for the first time, his scent was not at all calming. It reminded Castiel of an oncoming thunderstorm.

“Dean?”

“I’m sorry… just…” A muscle in Dean’s jaw twitched when the alpha paused for a second. “What an asshole! I can see that maybe the relationship didn’t work out. It happens. Even with no one being the bad guy. Or even while you expect a kid together. Maybe you are right, and he did not see the two of you together in the long run. But, even if you break up --- to just leave a child behind? Your own child?” There was so much outrage in Dean’s voice that Castiel felt pretty sure this alpha next to him would never do anything like it, would never try to pressure an omega to simply get rid of his baby, for whatever reason. “Does he even know he has a son? That you--- that you decided to carry him out?”

“Oh, he knows. I wrote him a letter a few weeks before Jack was born. In response, I got a writing form Luce’s lawyer, informing me that Luce has no money as the young CEO of the still unprofitable start-up Morningstar Inc.” Castiel snorted. Dean’s eyes widened a fracture so the omega was pretty sure he knew which gaming company he was talking about; it _was_ a big one. “I happen to know he is making millions by now. But I never tried to sue. I don’t want any connection to him. Even if it would only be his money.”

“I think you should have squeezed as much out of that asshole as possible. Would’ve served him right.” Castiel said nothing in reply – he knew that attitude from Gabriel. But he would not be persuaded; he did not want any ties to Luce. After a brief silence, in which Dean seemed to try to get his scent under control, the alpha asked tentatively: “What about Jack? What does he think where his other father is?”

Castiel closed his eyes. “It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. I didn’t … I didn’t want to lie to him. ---- I don’t want him to be a teenager one day and accidentally find out that his father never wanted him – after a lifetime of believing he had heroically died on duty, like Gabriel had suggested. So I told him that he and I did not get along, and I tried my best to make him believe that we are a family just as valid as any other. I think he is too young to fully understand it, but… it works for now.”

“You really seem like an awesome dad, Cas.”

Castiel blushed.

They sat there on the couch for a long while. It felt good, just to be held by Dean.

“So, that date we were talking about … you think I should introduce myself to Jack before or afterwards?”

Castiel let out a chuckle. A lot of tension left his body along with it.

>>><<< 

After their conversation, things seemed to be even more intimate between Castiel and Dean. They cuddled on the couch until the movie ended even though neither of the men paid it much attention anymore. They were too occupied exploring each other with soft touches and by the time Dean’s hand had wandered under Castiel’s shirt, the omega felt his heat rising again. But while the five times they had done it last night had been rather frantic and a little rough, this time Dean seemed to be persistent to be all too gentle with Castiel. In the end, still on the sofa, Dean even pulled out before his knot could fully catch. Castiel whined pathetically and tried to persuade Dean, but the alpha stayed stern.

“I’ve seen how you walk, Cas. We should tone it down for a bit.”

Fortunately, by nightfall, after they had spent a whole day between the kitchen table and the couch – watching two more classics and eating Castiel’s prepared Chilli as well as some sandwich creation with too much cheese and bacon Dean made for them – Dean had given up and seemingly decided Castiel could take his knot again.

At least Castiel certainly hoped so, when the alpha had carried him to the bed over his shoulder and let him fall down with a loud thump – and then took out the XXXL Super Knot-package of condoms from the drawer.

Castiel raised an eyebrow at him. He did not want to imply that Dean did not need that size – nor that the alpha had not touched that package before. But unless _it_ had somehow grown over the last 24 hours…

“You know, I always had this theory that those SuperKnot condoms are pretty much like the regular sizes. Some alphas just use them … to compensate for something or whatever. And now, I can finally put that to the test.” He threw the package on the pillow next to Castiel’s head, and then lay beside the omega and started to nibble at his jaw. He obviously had no intention to hurry to test his theory. “Don’t worry. I’ll be extra careful pulling out.”

The alpha licked over Castiel’s throat and bit softly into the tender skin. And Castiel quickly forgot about condom sizes. He hardly had the presence of mind to wonder how fast Dean had found out what turned Castiel on the most. There was the nibbling at his throat – though Castiel would have never believed he might like it so much with someone he had just met; allowing someone where a mating mark would go seemed more intimate than sex to him –, the way Dean stroked over his thighs upwards until he massaged the globes of his butt until his fingers were coated with slick – without even penetrating him in any way –, or the soft, tingling kisses to his stomach that made Castiel writhe on the bed. Best enjoyed with strong fingers inside his hole. But to give himself credit as well, Castiel was pretty sure he had figured out quick enough how much Dean liked it when he let his hands wander through the alpha’s short hair, down the back of his neck, and up his scalp again. Or how his cock twitched anytime Castiel let out a loud moan – seriously, he might get a note from his neighbour after this weekend, or just more creepy grins – or the low growl Dean let out when Castiel rubbed his thumbs over his nipples.

Just as Dean had Castiel’s legs thrown over his shoulder, knot forming as he still thrusted in and out erratically, Castiel thought this might be the best heat he ever had experienced. As soon as he was perfectly filled with a big knot still pulsating in him, just like the last times, he dozed off nearly immediately. With a soft smile, knowing there was still a whole Sunday ahead of him.

A few minutes later, he woke up only for a moment as he felt Dean shift around him as soon as they were no longer locked together.

“Yup. Just like the regular ones.”

Castiel could not respond as he was already snoring into Dean’s shoulder again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, what an uneventful fluff-fest. :-D  
(I told you there would be no drama!)


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR**

Breakfast was about the same as yesterday: They sat at the kitchen table in companionable quiet, both men still too sleepy to talk much. Dean had been at the bakery to get Castiel his beloved cinnamon buns again, though he had left the house much, much later than the day before – and the omega had already prepared some toast and bacon, and coffee, by the time he came back.

When they had finished, Dean immediately got up and put the empty plates in the dishwasher. Castiel stayed in his seat and examined him with a soft smile.

“What?” Dean asked and Castiel noticed he had been staring for a while. He looked down into his mug and swirled the rest of his coffee in it.

“How is it that you are still single?” He finally asked the question that had bemused him the whole weekend. “An alpha like you, I guess there must be a lot of men and women standing in line to get their mark on you.”

Dean huffed out a laugh. “An alpha like me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

The alpha sounded honestly bewildered, and not like he was fishing for compliments, so Castiel replied: “Well, you are undeniably handsome. And you don’t seem to be a serial killer.” Castiel licked his lips, suddenly shy to go on. With the short pause, Dean seemed to think he was done with his explanation as he let out another chuckle.

“So that’s the standard for you omegas? Not being a serial killer? Pretty low bar if you asked me.”

“You’re also a good man - I mean you go hiking with kids that usually don’t have a good relationship with many alphas. And you have your own shop. You’re … caring. And funny. And kind. You say you like kids, so I’d guess you want some of your own.” For the first time since their encounter, it was Dean’s ears that turned slightly pink, and he looked rather self-conscious. So Castiel tried to lighten the mood as he added: “_And_ you seem to know your way around in the bedroom.” Like he had hoped, Dean’s smirk returned, but Castiel did not give him the chance to make some cocky remark. “So, again, how is it possible that you are still unmated?”

Dean took in a heavy breath before answering: “I don’t know.” Castiel narrowed his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t. I mean… I enjoyed being a bachelor for quite a while. Being unattached had only advantages, or so I thought in my late twenties.”

“Like bedding omegas in heat whenever you want?”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “You know, I don’t think I have shared half as many heats as you seem to believe. But I admit, I did enjoy some loose affairs in the past. I had one serious relationship in my entire life, with a beta. But--- things have not played out.” Dean looked sad for a moment and Castiel opened his mouth but the alpha beat him to it. “Nothing dramatic happened, it was no one’s fault when we broke it off, really. Well, I might have been a bit work-obsessed at the time, since I had just started my own garage at thirty, with no employees, and I worked pretty much through every weekend – while Lisa had probably wanted to take the next step in our relationship. And she got tired of me always being late for our appointments. She is married to a nice dentist now, and they have a great kid. Ben. She occasionally brings me her car to look over, and we catch up a little over coffee.” Castiel didn’t know how to feel for a moment. It seemed like Dean had a very different, and much friendlier, relationship with his ex than Castiel did. “Anyway, after we broke up – I might have just buried myself even more in my work. That was also about the time that Charlie got me on the SON-programme, maybe so I would not feel lonely, though she never admitted to that. So my schedule was completely packed. In the shop, I had accepted more clients than I could handle – at least with any form of spare time for myself – until I finally hired a couple of mechanics a few months back. Business is still good, and I finally get to take my weekends off. I guess, for the first time in a long while, I actually have the time for a relationship. And recently… well, I thought it might be nice to have someone to come home to. And not just my bleak apartment.”

“So, you’re saying…. that you’re ready for something serious?”

Castiel knew this question was very straightforward for someone to ask basically on their first date (though, if they summed up all the time they had already spent together, it would have probably been more like the eight date), but he was a single parent and he could not afford to get attached to someone who was just looking for a distraction.

“I--- yeah, that’s what I’m saying, I guess.”

“Good, because I don’t want to introduce someone to my kid who does not take us serious.”

“So… are _you_ saying you’re planning to introduce me to Jack?”

Castiel felt a soft flutter in his stomach. He liked how Dean always referred to his son as _Jack_. Not _the kid_. Or _your boy_. Just his name.

“I believe we have already talked about that yesterday. I just --- I have not figured out how to tell him about you yet.”

“Now you’re making me sound like some dirty little secret of yours.” Dean waggled his eyebrows.

Castiel chuckled, remembering how he had had that exact same thought at the beginning of this weekend. But before he could response, Dean tugged at his hands until he stood up, and then let his arms fall around his waist, breathing in at his neck.

“But, you know, as much as I want to meet Jack… right now, we are still alone. And I don’t know how long that heat will give me an excuse for seducing you in your own kitchen… so maybe we should enjoy the rest of the weekend and worry about the next steps later…?”

Dean was right – Castiel’s heat had reduced to a small flame by now. But that did not change the fact that Castiel was aroused by the time Dean licked over his neck, then scattered playful kisses up his jaw until he started to nibble at Castiel’s bottom lip. And a moment later, Castiel did not think too much anyway, because --- god, that alpha could kiss.

Just fifteen minutes later had Castiel lying on the dinner table, legs around the alpha’s waist, and tied to Dean by his knot. While they were still coming down from their high, Dean picked Castiel up and carried him to the bedroom.

This time, though he was drowsy and his mind a little hazed, he stayed awake for all the soft words Dean whispered into his ear. He even still noticed when Dean went to the bathroom and came back with a washcloth to clean them up as good as possible. Castiel purred happily as his eyes fell closed, enjoying the feeling of the cool cloth stroking over his stomach and thighs.

He had almost fallen asleep when he was pulled back to reality at Dean’s sudden burst of laughter. Well, sudden for Castiel. He looked to the side with a sleepy – and grumpy – frown to see Dean standing by the bed with his phone in hands.

“Sorry, sweetheart, did not mean to bother you, but this is just too funny. Remember my friend Benny? I told you about him?”

Castiel nodded, even though he had no idea who Dean was talking about. He was too focused on how good it sounded when Dean called him _sweetheart_.

“It seems like he and Gadreel have decided to give it another try. He writes that they accidentally ran into each other in a bar on Friday night and have spent the whole weekend together.” There was a devilish smirk on Dean’s face. “I can’t wait to tell them how things may be different if I had not stopped you from picking up Gadreel for yourself.” Castiel’s eyes widened in panic. He wouldn’t dare. Would he? Dean laughed. “Oh, relax. I’m just teasing. Although… if they ever get married… I’m making no promises that I will not mention this in my best man’s speech.”

Castiel threw a pillow after Dean, but the alpha just laughed as it landed on the floor, at least one foot away from him, and then kissed Castiel on the temple.

“Sleep now, babe. You can still argue with me when you feel more awake. Or when you have learned how to aim.”

>>><<< 

Castiel woke up almost three hours later – happy, sated, and with the certain knowledge that his heat was finally over. As he stretched, grunting at the small pain, he looked at the watch; it was nearly 4 p.m. Castiel felt guilty for having slept through most of the last hours he could spend with his alpha. He felt even worse when he noticed that this time as he woke up, Dean did not lie beside him, like he had always done before.

Castiel might have been convinced that the last two days had just been a heat-infused fever dream, if not for the wonderful scent that still lingered in the room. Usually, Castiel could hardly wait to wash his sheets after a heat, but this time, he already considered to just never clean them again – at least not as long as they smelled like Dean. So he had something to remember him by.

But then his smile just widened, because he might not actually need a keepsake for future daydreams. Dean had said he would like to take him out on a date. And he had not seemed to be deterred by the fact that Castiel had a child. The omega felt just a little queasy because they had not yet set a date. But in all honesty, Castiel would not know what to propose if Dean asked him right now – Jack liked staying with one of his uncles well enough, but after a whole weekend he was sometimes a bit miffed, and Castiel did not want to call in a babysitter next week again already.

But if he made Dean wait any longer, the alpha might decide Castiel was not worth the trouble.

Speaking of Dean: Where _was_ he? He had mentioned during breakfast that he wanted to go home on Sunday night, because he needed to get up early on Monday and wanted to shave and change into his own, clean clothes before he had to leave for work. For a split second, Castiel feared he might have already left. Without saying goodbye. Simply waiting around until Castiel would wake up from his heat-coma was probably pretty boring for Dean.

Maybe the talk about accepting his son and wanting to go out with him had been nothing but a scheme to keep Castiel in a good mood. To get as much out of the omega’s heat as possible. But that would have only made sense if Dean had behaved like any of those knotheads every omega was afraid of. But Dean had not even liked it when Castiel had called him _alpha_, much less had he expected he would mindlessly submit to him and be happy with whatever he decided to do – as long as he was granted a knot at the end of it.

Castiel’s dark thoughts dissolved quickly as he heard cluttering from the direction of the kitchen. Then he noticed the deep rumbling of Dean’s voice. The alpha must be on the phone or something. Castiel stretched again. God, he really liked that voice. He especially liked it when the alpha sounded all husky while he growled lewd compliments into Castiel’s ear. He felt an exciting tingle in his neither regions that probably had nothing to do with any aftereffects of his heat.

And then Castiel heard a second voice, softer. And much higher.

Castiel’s eyes widened. He knew that voice. He knew it very, very well.

He stood abruptly and ignored the dizziness that followed in order to rush out of the bedroom, pulling up some sweatpants along the way.

And then he saw them: Dean was leaning against the kitchen counter and looked with a concentrated expression, and a gentle smile, at --- Jack. Jack, who was sitting at the dinner table, his back to Castiel, sandwich in hands and currently explaining with a full mouth: “You know, and a lot of the stars we see – they don’t even exist anymore. Isn’t that just spectacular!”

Castiel stopped in his tracks and could not but smile at the excitement on his son’s face as he talked about his favourite subject. It was Dean who noticed him first, fully turning around, grin widening as his eyes met Castiel’s. And when he noticed that his audience was not fully captivated by his speech anymore, Jack finally turned around as well.

“Dad! You’re up!” Jack jumped up, and hugged his father, still holding onto his sandwich with a firm grip. “Dean said you were still asleep, and we did not want to disturb you.”

“That was … very considerate of you both. But…” Castiel looked helplessly at Dean as Jack dragged him to the table, possibly so that he could continue eating but still had his father close. And Dean just shrugged – like there was nothing unusual happening in Castiel’s kitchen.

“Jack --- what are you doing here? Did Balthazar bring you? I thought you would stay until tomorrow…? Are you sick?” At the last though, Castiel looked over Jack almost frantically, checking if he had any wounds or seemed feverish.

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” the polite son of Castiel Novak responded, while Dean raised a teasing eyebrow. “And Uncle Balth is still asleep. Well, not anymore, because we just called him. He sounded a little grumpy that we woke him up.”

“You just called --- how did you get here?”

“I took the bus.”

“The bus?”

“Yes. We always take the XO58 to get to Uncle Balth and back. I know the way. I’m not a baby anymore, you know.”

Castiel frowned. He did not like the idea of his son wandering through the city alone. Well, he let him go to school on his own, or buy something from the bakery down the street – but then Castiel always knew where he was. Suddenly, there was a warm hand on Castiel’s shoulder, and he instantly calmed down. Jack was all right. So, whatever stupid thing he had done, it had obviously not hurt him.

“And why did you take the bus – which we are going to have a conversation about by the way?”

Jack, of all things, exchanged an accusing look with the alpha behind Castiel, and Dean’s answering gaze very much seemed to say: _I told you so. _Or maybe it was just: _Don’t involve me in this_.

“Like I said, Uncle Balthazar was asleep. He whined that he had to get up so early today, because he had promised me to watch the sunrise at the lake today, and then he went to take a nap. He put on Netflix for me, but I got bored. And hungry. But the fridge was nearly empty. Just some pickles and sausages. And I don’t even eat meat. We wanted to order pizza tonight --- but that would still be _hours_!” Castiel frowned at his son; neither Balthazar nor Gabriel would have the best résumé as babysitters if they ever took a competition, but Castiel doubted they would ever let his kid go hungry. Going back to bed and leave him alone with Netflix after getting up before sunrise, however --- Castiel could see that much. Under his stern gaze, Jack blushed. “And I thought … I thought, you know, I could help you with your heat. I am old enough now. I can cook for you or change the sheets, like Uncle Gabriel always does. But then I saw that Dean was already here to help you. And when I told him about how hungry I was, he made me this.” He held out the meek rest of his sandwich with a wide grin that just had Castiel shake his head in wonder. Whatever he had expected this day to be like, he had never imagined that he would find Dean and Jack in the kitchen after waking up – chatting like they had known each other for years. Maybe this _had_ just been a dream after all, and he still had not woken. “And before we ate, Dean made me call Balth, so he wouldn’t worry when he woke up. He says hello. And to call him back tonight with all the saucy details – I didn’t understand that. He is not usually that interested in your heats.”

When Jack was finished, he stood and put his plate in the dishwasher, just like Castiel always insisted he would, and Dean sat down opposite the omega. He put two cups of coffee on the table, one for himself, one for Castiel – and even handed the still wide-eyed father a plate with another sandwich. While Jack was still turned away, Dean mouthed towards a perplexed Castiel: _I am sorry._ Castiel had no idea why Dean would be apologising – he had done nothing wrong. And it was certainly not his fault that Jack had just shown up one day early. Castiel was not sure which one to strangle – Balthazar or Jack. Or maybe both. Or no one. Castiel bit into his sandwich, almost automatically, not really tasting anything.

Jack returned to the table with some juice and sat back down on his chair; now all three of them were together around the table. Like a family.

“Dean told me that when you go camping in the Ark Valley, you can see the stars perfectly on a clear night. Not like here in the city. Can we go someday, dad?”

“Ah… I don’t know.” Castiel replied, quite flustered at the sudden change of topic. Jack had never shown interest in camping, or simply in being outside for too long. He chewed on his last bite longer than necessary to find some explanation. “We don’t even have a tent, and I don’t really know that much about camping.”

Jack rolled his eyes in a way Castiel was pretty sure he had learned from Balthazar. “But _Dean_ does. He can show us, and we can all sleep in _his_ tent. Right, Dean?” Jack grinned at Dean before he looked back to his father. “Then I can show him all the constellations I know. He says he only recognises the Big Dipper.” The last was said with as much contempt as a seven-year-old could muster. Which was a lot. “And you know, Dean does not have a kid or a mate to explain anything about stars to him,” Jack added in a strange emphasis. But he still looked hopeful between Dean and Castiel. The latter almost thought that his son was trying to set him up. Which was absolutely remarkable in itself.

Castiel was surprised that Dean seemed to have managed to get Jack so quickly out of his shell. He was usually a shy kid, at least around strangers. With his family, he hardly ever stopped talking. Castiel knew he could be almost too eager to please whenever he was around teachers or people that had treated him kindly for only a moment – so much so that Castiel hoped it would change when he grow up, that he would get more confident. But Jack could also be extremely wary and careful, especially around alphas. He had experienced many times how some looked down at his omega father, and often enough also the innocent child.

But now, Jack looked at Dean with a brimming eagerness, and Dean looked inquiringly at Castiel. Camping, right.

Castiel cleared his throat. “I would love to go camping with you, Jack, but … as it is fall already, it might be too cold.” Not to mention: Spending at least one day and night with a single father and his precocious kid might be enough to scare away any alpha. Maybe they should start smaller.

“But how about I take you two to the city’s observatory next weekend?” Dean suggested like he had read Castiel’s mind.

“Great!” Jack exclaimed before Castiel could even think about it. “We already have annual tickets and go at least once a month. I can show you around if you want, explain everything to you. And maybe dad can add something to it. You know, dad knows loads of stuff.”

“That would be very kind of you, since I’ve never been before,” Dean replied with absolute sincerity. “That is, if this will be all right with your father as well?”

Castiel’s lips twitched. “Of course it would. I might even be able to teach you a thing or two.”

Dean winked, and Castiel felt again like he had awoken in some strange, wonderful parallel universe.

There was a short silence, and then Jack asked: “Why are you here anyway, Dean?” He cocked his head to the side, looking a lot like his father. “Dad never mentioned you before.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow. Since the alpha had been so relaxed ever since Castiel had come into the room, he would gladly let him find a reasonable answer. The alpha took a sip of his coffee, probably to buy some time. Castiel could not wait to ask Dean how the conversation with his son – who had just found a strange alpha in his kitchen – might have started for Jack to not be interested in this question so far. Had he just met Dean in their kitchen and thought: _Oh, this alpha smells nice. And since he is here already, maybe I should set him up with my dad_. Well, Dean _did_ smell good. But whatever else Castiel might have to think about Dean’s smell, or how their conversation had so quickly turned to stargazing, he did not get the chance to linger on those thoughts as Jack suddenly narrowed his eyes and added before any of the grown-ups had been able to come up with a good reply: “Did you help dad with your knot?”

Dean spit coffee all over the table and Castiel chocked on air.

“Jack!” Castiel chided in a higher voice than usual. But his son was not to be deterred.

“Because I heard Uncle Gabriel once say that an alpha’s knot would be best to help dad through a heat.” He studied his father’s beet-red face. “I bet it worked. Dad looks a lot better than usually at the end of his heats.”

Jack, bless his heart, was at this age where he thought he understood everything – and he did have a basic knowledge of where babies came from, that had nothing to do with storks, and even knew the basics about his father’s heats. But he was still a child, which meant he did not fully _understand_. Castiel just took in a breath to start a lecture about --- either privacy of some topics, or the actual help an alpha could offer during a heat, he had not decided yet, when Dean replied:

“Well, I am glad if I could help your father.” Again, with that earnest tone. Nothing mocking in his eyes as he looked at Jack.

There was an awkward silence – at least the two grown-ups thought so. But Jack just eyed Dean up for another moment, then nodded solemnly, and changed the subject to something that seemed more of interest to him. He talked long enough about their planned trip that Castiel and Dean regained some of their composure.

“I could show you the brochure of the observatory,” Jack offered after a long monologue about which planets could be seen this time of year. “Then you already know what’s awaiting you.”

Dean had hardly time to nod before Jack jumped up and hurried into the direction of his room.

Castiel examined Dean, then shook his head and let out a mixture of a sob and a laugh.

Dean’s seemed unsure what it meant. “I hope I did not overstep any lines here. But I just got up, and then he came through the door --- and I just went with it.” He shrugged.

“No, you certainly did nothing wrong here. I just--- I probably should have warned you that he can be rather …. _precocious_. And this suddenly feels so… I don’t know… _real_.”

“Dad! It’s locked!” Jack cried from the hallway.

“Oh,” Castiel mumbled, then yelled in Jack’s direction because he did not want to get up himself: “The key is in the first drawer of my nightstand!” He turned back to Dean. “You know, when I went into that coffee shop on Friday, I just wanted some alpha I found moderately attractive to help me through the first, usually horrible, night of my heat. I did not --- I did not expect _wanting_ so much more in the end. And I don’t want to mess it up. I guess I’m just excited --- but also nervous.”

Dean took his hand. “So am I.” Both of Castiel’s eyebrows wandered upwards. “What? I can’t be nervous too? But honestly, dating one awesome omega _and_ his insanely bright son seems a little daunting.” Castiel laughed at that. “Seriously, one hour with him and I already feel stupid. I’m gonna really embarrass myself in front of you two. You use words like _spectacular_ and _precocious_. It won’t take you long to figure out I’m just some dumb alpha.”

Dean looked a little insecure beneath his smile.

“You are a good man, Dean, and there is nothing better than that.” Castiel smirked. “Besides, you don’t need to be intelligent. You are so handsome. _And_ your knot certainly helps.”

Dean boxed his elbow into Castiel’s side and both men grinned like teenagers on their first date. Then Dean let out a sudden bark of laughter. He looked at Castiel with so much mischief in his eyes that Castiel started to worry.

“You know, Cas, I just remembered… what else is in the top drawer of your nightstand…?”

And sure enough, Jack suddenly showed up next to the adults, not the brochure but three little boxes in his hands. Dean almost fell over laughing while Castiel’s face turned a light shade of pink.

“Dad,… why do you have so many balloons in your bedroom? My birthday is still _months_ away.”

And so, on the very day he met his future stepson, Dean ended up helping Castiel to explain the basic function of condoms to a seven-year old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I warned you in the beginning, this story really is not that eventful, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I apologise for the bad joke at the end – but those condoms had been omnipresent in this fic and I kind of needed Jack to find them.  
(Also: sorry for not showing how exactly Dean met Jack – but I did not want to switch POV just for the ending. I might write an equally senseless time-stamp from Dean’s POV though.)

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so please forgive me my mistakes.
> 
> And don’t forget: Comments and kudos always make me happy! ;-)


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